Latest evacuations plunge oil sands restarts into uncertainty

CALGARY, Alberta May 18 (Reuters) - The sudden surge north
of the massive wildfire burning in Canada's oil sands region has
dealt a new setback to producers, triggering a second round of
evacuations and threatening work camps north of Fort McMurray.

With the the city of Fort McMurray off limits and fewer
places to house workers needed to restart operations, production
may be shut down for longer than companies and market analysts
had anticipated.

A shift in winds and hot temperatures sent the blaze roaring
toward Suncor Energy and Syncrude Canada's mining and
upgrading projects late Monday, forcing them to shut down for
the second time in two weeks.

It also prompted the hasty evacuation of 8,000 oil sands
workers from a dozen nearby camps, engulfed one 665-room lodge
in flames and threatened other camps, emergency officials said.

Scores of work camps scattered across the remote region
house thousands of people who fly in from around the country.

"We have got our fingers crossed because without the camps
there's nowhere for any workers to go," said Ian Robb, president
of the Unite Here Local 47 union, which represents camp cooks
and cleaners.

"If the camps are not standing, there's no rebuilding."

Suncor's base plant and Syncrude alone account for about
665,000 barrels per day of oil sands crude production, and both
were in the process of bringing back workers and restarting
operations after the first round of shutdowns.
Continued...